Russia destroys 628,000 new school textbooks in Kharkiv attack

A Russian attack in Kharkiv destroyed 628,000 newly printed school textbooks that were stored in a warehouse belonging to publisher Ranok. The destruction occurred at the height of back-to-school season, when schools most needed fresh teaching materials.

The warehouse, built on the site of a former bread factory, held not only these textbooks but millions of other books as well. Most of that stock was consumed alongside the destroyed textbooks.

A week-long firefighting effort

Firefighters battled the blaze for an entire week before it was fully extinguished, underscoring the scale of the fire and the volume of material stored at the site.

Kharkiv, located close to the Russian border, has repeatedly come under Russian attack throughout the war. The loss of such a large number of textbooks is especially damaging for the education system at a moment when students need them most, at the start of the new school year.